(Luca)
We found her sitting alone on one of the benches near the edge of the quad. Her books were stacked on her lap, and she kept staring at the ground. She looked small, like she was trying to disappear.
I took a careful step forward. “Hey, Avery. Are you okay?”
Jackson and Elias came up behind me, giving her space but showing we were there. She didn’t answer right away. I could see her hands twisting the edges of her notebook, a little nervous movement that made it clear she was holding something in.
“Do you want to talk?” I asked gently. “Or just sit here with us?”
Her eyes lifted, hesitant. “I… I don’t know,” she said quietly.
Jackson crouched slightly so he was at her level. “It’s fine if you don’t know,” he said. “We’ll stay with you.”
Elias rested a hand lightly on the bench
